Firing back at Verizon, AT&T has released a new ad that talks about the wonders of the iPhone–and then promotes two Samsung handsets. How misleading is that?
The ad also promotes the ability to surf and talk simultaneously, a feature the iPhone has, but the Samsung models shown at the end of the spot appear to lack.
As for AT&T offering “the most popular smartphones,” well, we know what that refers to, and it is (again) not the Samsungs.
I know, it is hard to make any cellular carrier look good, but AT&T is spiffing up Verizon’s imagine on an almost daily basis.
Yesterday, an Atlanta federal judge denied AT&T’s request for an injunction against Verizon’s “There’s a map for that” TV ads that compare Verizon’s 3G coverage (most everywhere) to AT&T’s (not nearly everywhere).
Interestingly, the judge said something in court Wednesday that apparently expresses AT&T’s viewpoint as well.
“Most people who are watching TV are semi-catatonic,” U.S. Dist. Judge Timothy Batten Sr. remarked, prompting courtroom laughter. “They’re not fully alive.”
You’d have to be semi-catatonic not to notice that AT&T’s rebuttal commercial takes credit for Apple’s success and then tries to sell Samsung phones, perhaps a good choice for the “not fully alive” among us.
I noticed the ad because my colleague, Dan Moren at Macworld, spoofed the AT&T commercial in a blog posted earlier today. I watched the spot, noted AT&T wrapping itself in Apple’s glory, expected to see an iPhone promoted, and got Samsung instead.
Talk about bait-and-switch!
Meanwhile, if Verizon’s commercials merited a lawsuit, then AT&T certainly deserves judicial attention. After all, where these commercials are concerned, “There’s a judge for that!”
The two sides will next meet him at the second hearing in AT&T’s care, scheduled for Dec. 16.
David Coursey tweets as @techinciter and can be contacted via his Web site.